Saturday, November 10, 2012

45 shots on goal, and a lot of power plays and penalty kills each way gave a lot of ice for the Nanooks, who looked like the faster team which helped catapult them into second place in the CCHA rankings with 10 points, just 1 point behind Miami who earned the shootout win over NMU tonight.

The Nanooks had some great momentum going in the first period, largely outskating the Buckeyes for most of the period until the officials seemed to take it away. A phantom call on Cody Kunyk as he was playing solid defense down low in front of Keeney, but officials saw him check someone from behind who actually just kind of fell down. If they were going to penalize Kunyk, should have gotten the other player for embellishment.

Shortly after the power play started, Campbell got up close and personal and caught an Ohio State player by surprise against the boards. Officials called that boarding. Needless to say Ohio State scores on the 5 on 3 power play, they're not that bad...

Then at the end of the period, Odegard and an Ohio State forward were getting into it around the net, then the official decided to call Odie for slashing... So the Buckeyes now start the 2nd period with a 5 on 3 power play...

The Nanooks did a good job to kill it, but Ohio State had their fair share of chances. But there for a bit, it seemed that the Nanooks couldn't get much going, until the Nanooks had a goal called as Colton Beck flew into the zone and centered a pass that went off of Kunyk's skate and in. Originally called a goal on the ice, but after going to review, they saw Cody sticking his skate out to deflect the puck which was deemed a kicking motion and waved off.

Now with seemingly noting going our way until Ohio State ran into a bit of penalty trouble of their own. 5 straight calls against the Buckeyes helped the Nanooks get going offensively as the officiating seemed to start to even out. About 11 minutes into the period, Matt Johnson drove Cody Kunyk into the boards pretty hard from behind. A pretty dangerous hit, but the officials saw that one all the way, and called a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for checking from behind.

However, the 'Nooks weren't able to capitalize on that at all as the Nanooks seemed to trail off on that chance and let it slip away. But another call to Martell late in the 2nd for roughing seemed to rev the Nanooks' engine as they seemed a bit more up on the play. A clearing attempt back into the Nanook zone, Colton Parayko noticed Ohio State going for a late change. Parayko ripped a long pass up to Taranto who was waiting at the far side of the blue line. Racing into the zone, TO and Beck worked to crash the net as an Ohio State defender is nipping at the heels just slightly behind the play, and Beck able to make the shot off of the pass through the slot.

In the 3rd, the Nanooks started off about even with Ohio State with some good action going back and forth early, but the revolving penalty box door struck again as Brandon Martell went to the box, then just as that penalty expired, Cody Kunyk was sprung on a breakaway and hauled down by Sam Jardine, and the two went down to the ice funny, and it looked like Kunyk's skate caught Jardine's wrist just above the glove, who bled pretty bad as he left the ice and the game to be attended to by the medics. Hope he's OK. Never like to see that happen.

But to make matters worse, he was called for holding as he pulled Cody Kunyk down to avoid the score. The Nanooks weren't able to capitalize on any of the power plays per se, but just as Jardine's penalty expired, Trevor Campbell intercepted an attempted outlet pass at the blue line by, who got the puck to Adam Henderson down low. Hendo threw the shot on net, and Granberg was sitting open on the door step who got a beautiful deflection on that shot to tip it up over the shoulder of Collin Olson to go up 2-1.

Now with the lead in hand, Nolan Youngmun nearly gave it away with two back to back penalties, the first a minor for high sticking, the second a 5 minute major and game misconduct for roughing. With just 5:55 left on the clock, most of the final minutes were to be played shorthanded. But the Nanooks superior defense had Ohio State slowing their game as they couldn't get anything going in the Nanooks' zone.

Then a neutral zone interception by Michael Quinn had Adam Henderson springing up his step as he got a shot on goal shorthanded, and collected his own rebound for the 'Nooks first shorthanded goal of the season to ice the victory 3-1.

Another game with the 'Nooks tallying over 40 shots on net, but this time 3 goals find their way to the back of the net, and the Nanooks move to a 5-3-2 record and taking 4 points this weekend to get up to 10 CCHA points thus far in the season. Again, putting them in second place just behind Miami. The Nanooks return home next weekend to take on Western Michigan who also went 1-0-1 this weekend with Bowling Green.

Should be a good flight home for the guys, who have come up with a big win in Columbus this weekend.